West Blue.
Orute Kingdom.
All official matters had been properly arranged.
Chiba lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes falling on the cold, sinister figure seated at the head of the left side.
"Orochimaru."
"How is the Devil Fruit research progressing?"
Orochimaru stepped forward.
His entire body exuded an air of fanatical scientific fervor.
His long tongue slid over his lips beneath his pale face.
"Your Majesty."
"The specialties of this sea truly are fascinating creations."
Orochimaru summoned a massive black sealing scroll with a reverse hand sign.
With a muffled bang.
The white smoke dispersed.
Fifteen bizarrely shaped fruits lay neatly arranged upon the stone floor in the center of the hall.
Some were covered in spiral patterns.
Some resembled bananas yet were covered in spikes.
Their multicolored peels seemed to contain some kind of violent law of life.
These were all spoils seized by the Empire's armies from royal treasuries, black markets, and Pirates.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to those fruits.
The hall fell utterly silent.
Orochimaru's hoarse voice echoed through the vast chamber.
"Your subordinate interrogated the captured Marine High Command and obtained the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia."
"These fifteen fruits have all been identified."
"Nine are Zoans, and six are Paramecias."
Orochimaru picked up a dark-red fruit covered in circular patterns.
"This is the Zoan-type Ox-Ox Fruit, Bison Model."
"According to the encyclopedia, anyone who eats it will receive an extraordinarily exaggerated increase in physical strength and may even gain a bison's regenerative abilities."
"It is extremely similar to Jūgo's clan in the Ninja World, or to Sage Transformation."
"However, it does not alter Chakra. It directly rewrites a living being's genetic sequence."
Orochimaru picked up another strange purple fruit.
"This is the Paramecia-type Dice-Dice Fruit."
"The user can turn any part of their body into sharp